Stephen King's IT Reboot To Be Similar To Stranger Things

Netflix's Stranger Things has earned rave reviews from critics and viewers alike, because it perfectly captures the look and feel of classic sci-fi and coming-of-age films from the '70s and '80s. That includes Stand by Me, a 1986 film directed by Rob Reiner and based on Stephen King's 1982 novella The Body. You can also make the case that some elements are inspired by Stephen King's IT.

I guess why it isn't too surprising to hear Dan Lin, a producer of the feature film adaptation of IT, comparing the upcoming film to Stranger Things.

"I think a great analogy is actually Stranger Things, and we're seeing it on Netflix right now," Lin told Collider. "It's very much an homage to '80s movies, whether it's classic Stephen King or even Spielberg. Think about Stand by Me as far as the bonding amongst the kids. But there is a really scary element in Pennywise."

IT began filming in late-June, spending most of its time on the young cast, but according to Lin, it's time to send in the terrifying, shapeshifting clown. Taking on Pennywise, a role made famous by Tim Curry (Clue), will be Hemlock Grove star Bill Skarsgard.

"His build is really interesting; he's really tall and lanky, and feels a little clown like in his movement," Lin said of Skarsgard. "When he came in — we had a lot of different actors read, and when he came in he had a different spin on the character that got us really excited. You've had Heath Ledger doing almost a clown joker, you've seen obviously Tim Curry as a clown. We wanted someone who created a Pennywise character that would stand on its own and Bill came in and created this character that frankly freaked us out."

IT is about a group of childhood friends who reunite in their small home town in Maine to once again confront an evil entity that they thought they had destroyed 30 years earlier.

The cast features Bill Skarsgard as Pennywise, Javier Botet as The Leper, Jaeden Lieberher as Bill Denbrough, Jeremy Ray Taylor as Ben Hanscom, Sophia Lillis as Beverly Marsh, Finn Wolfhard as Richie Tozier, Jack Dylan Grazer as Eddie Kaspbrak, Chosen Jacobs as Mike Hanlon, Wyatt Oleff as Stanley Uris, Nicholas Hamilton as Henry Bowers, Owen Teague as Patrick Hockstetter, and Logan Thompson as Victor Criss.

The film is being directed by Mama-helmer, Andrés Muschietti.

IT will float into theaters September 8th, 2017.